Blair O'Connor was the life of every party-popular, fearless, and always the center of attention. But behind the perfect image was an abusive boyfriend who slowly stripped away the girl she used to be.
After finally breaking free, Blair transfers...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"I don't get why I still have to dress up as Sandy," I muttered, slipping my feet into the red heels that completed the look.
Me and Connor had planned to go as Danny and Sandy from Grease this Halloween, but ever since the breakup, that plan had been scrapped. I felt silly in the costume now, but it was either this or scrambling for something last minute, and Eloise had insisted.
"What if you find your Danny tonight?" Eloise declared with a grin, pulling on her red jumpsuit. She was going as Britney Spears from the "Oops!... I Did It Again" music video, and honestly, she looked incredible. "You're a hot, newly single lass—own it!"
I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't help laughing. "Yeah, right. I'd settle for just having a good time without any drama."
She shrugged, adjusting the collar of her suit. "Well, if any guys give you trouble, you've got me. I can pull some moves on 'em. Besides, you know I don't just look." She gave me a sly wink, her eyes sparkling.
"You know, sometimes I think you enjoy checking me out more than any of the lads do," I teased, grabbing my bag.
She laughed, not even denying it. "Someone's got to hype you up! And hey, I appreciate good taste."
We were heading to this Halloween party all set up for the night; we'd already done our annual Halloween ritual the night before. Eloise had been the one to lose her dinner this time, she puked everywhere.
She gave me a once-over, her eyes gleaming with pride. "You look amazing!" she said, grinning as she slapped my arse with a playful wink. It was classic Eloise.
"You're honestly worse than the lads," I said, shaking my head and laughing.
"You say that every time," she replied, not missing a beat. "And every time, you know I'm right. Now, come on, let's go find your Danny... or, you know, mine." She winked again, and I knew we were in for a good night.
————————————————
He was here.
That lad from that one party—the one where we'd spent the night catching each other's eyes from across the room, each glance lingering a second longer than the last. We'd never actually spoken, but it felt like we'd shared some silent conversation. And now here he was, standing in the kitchen, talking to some guy as he mixed drinks, his profile lit up by the soft glow above the counter.
"Ooo!" Eloise slurred beside me, nudging my arm. "That's him! You need to go talk to him!"
I felt my face flush. "No, I don't."
She gave me that look, her eyes bright with just enough tipsiness to make her persuasive. "If you don't, you'll regret it, I'm telling you."
Her words echoed in my head, and before I knew it, I was on my feet, making my way to the kitchen. She chuckled as I left, leaning into Alec's side as if to give me some unspoken push of courage.
